Love's Embrace
by angelsinstead
Summary: Lawrence and Carly's decision to have another child comes with a heavy price.
1. The Decision

Author's Note: This story is based off the hit soap Days of our Lives, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. I do not own NBC's Days of Our Lives or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

~*~o~*~

It was their one year wedding anniversary. One year ago today, they had gotten married after moving to Paris and leaving Salem behind. It was just the two of them and their ten year old son, Nicholas. Finally, they had found a little happiness in their lives and everything was just as it should be.

"Where would you like to go on our anniversary trip?" Lawrence had asked her.

"Anywhere," she answered. "As long as it's with you."

Their son was at summer camp, so it would be an excellent opportunity for the two of them to spend some romantic time alone. "Let's go to my estate in Italy then. You always liked it there," Lawrence said with a grin.

"I like that idea," she told him as she slipped her arms around him. "Let's leave tonight."

"Anything for you, Katerina," he said as he kissed her softly on the lips. "You know I'd do anything for you..."

~*~o~*~

They had arrived at Lawrence's villa in Italy as they stood on the balcony together, enjoying the cool, evening air. "It's beautiful here, but you are far more beautiful," Lawrence said to her.

"Remember when you said you'd do anything for me?" she asked him.

"Yes... and I meant it, Katerina."

"Then give me a baby," she said as she caressed his cheek and stared into his hazel eyes. "I want to have another child with you, Lawrence."

A slow smile came to his face. "You're ready to have another baby, Katerina?" he asked.

"Yes, I started the fertility treatments... and I'm ready."

"You know this may not work. You know what the doctor said..."

"I know, but I still want to try. It's worth a try to have a child with you. One we will raise together from the start. One that will not be taken from us."

"Yes, we deserve that," he said as he lifted her up in his arms and carried her inside to the bedroom.

~*~o~*~

They woke up that morning with lot of presents under the tree. Together with their son, they headed downstairs to open all the presents. Now Nicholas was attending one of the best boarding schools in Europe, but he was with them on weekends and holidays. They wanted their son to have the best education money could provide, but even so, they cherished every moment they had with him.

"Look Dad, this one's for you!" Nicky said as he brought his father a small wrapped package.

"Open it," Carly encouraged him.

"Alright," he said as he looked at the tag.

"It's from the woman I love," Lawrence announced as he tore into the wrapping paper. Minutes later, he had unwrapped the gift. A look of shock registered across his face.

"Katerina, is this-?" he asked in a gasp as he lifted it from the box.

"Yes, it is," she responded as he withdrew the tiny white stick.

Nicholas looked at his parents questioningly, seeing his father's joyous smile and his mother's tears. "What's going on?" he asked them.

"You're going to be a big brother, Nicholas," Lawrence said in a voice that shook with his emotion.

Carly stared into his eyes as he reached for her. He held her so tightly as he told her, "You've made me the happiest man alive, Katerina. This is the best Christmas present you EVER could have given me."

"I love you, Lawrence," she said as she hugged him.

~*~o~*~

Her health was fragile. She was in her second trimester when she heard the news. Due to having high blood pressure and placenta previa, along with her past pregnancy issues with her son, her doctor had advised that she should consider terminating her pregnancy. Being a physician herself, Carly knew all the risks. The only way her child was going to be able to survive was if she went on complete bedrest, followed doctor's orders, and did everything in her power to avoid stress. IF she carried to term, 24 weeks remained of her extremely high-risk pregnancy.

"I'm not terminating my pregnancy," Carly said adamantly to Dr. Moreau . "I'm seeing it through, no matter what the outcome."

Lawrence hadn't said much as he listened to the doctor's warnings that the pregnancy may end in tragedy. "I'll let you two talk about this for a moment," Dr. Moreau said as she stepped out of the room.

"Katerina, listen to me," Lawrence said as he took both of her hands into his. "I know we both want this baby... so much. But I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. I think we should consider-."

"No, don't even say it," Carly said insistently. "I'm having this baby, Lawrence... whether you like it or not."

She pulled away from him in frustration and anger as huge tears filled up her sapphire eyes. "Katerina, look at me," Lawrence encouraged.

She looked at him with wounded eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked her tenderly.

"Yes," she answered as she went into his arms for comfort. He held her as she softly cried. There was no other choice for her; no other decision. She loved their baby and she was having it. End of story.

~*~o~*~

She spent the majority of her pregnancy within their bed. Lawrence often remained by her side. His work kept him away at times. But she lived for the moments when they were together, when she was entanged in his embrace. He gave her peace and contentment. His touch was all she ever needed.

"Lawrence, you need to go on with your life. You can't stay here trapped in this room day after day. You have your business to worry about," she said one day as he held her.

"You are my life," he told her. "You, Nicholas, and this baby. This may be our last chance to have a child together. Do you know how much this means to me?" he questioned.

She softly caressed his cheek, gazing into those amazing of eyes of his. "We'll get through this together," she assured him. "When it's over, I can't wait to hold our baby."

"Do you think it will be a girl or a boy?" he asked her.

"I dunno. With Nicholas, I had this feeling I was having a boy, but this time... I'm just not sure."

Lawrence placed his hand over her tummy where their child was starting to grow. "It's a girl," he told her with a smile.

"Well, alright, Dr. Alamain," she said to him with a laugh. "I thought that I was the doctor in this family."

"You are. I am just speaking from father's intuition," he responded as he gently kissed her.

They curled up in each other, needing nothing more than comfort of love's embrace.

~*~o~*~

Her friends had deserted her. No one stopped by anymore. They had all gone on with their own lives. She lay in the bed, feeling imprisoned a great deal of the time. The baby in her stomach gave her comfort. When she was all alone, she'd talk to the little one she carried. She told the unborn baby about her love for Lawrence and what a wonderful life they'd all have together.

When Nicky was home, they'd have chess competitions. Nicholas usually won. He'd become a master at chess, just like his father. "When will the baby be here, Mom?" he asked one day.

They were lounging on the bed, watching movies. Lawrence had been away on a business trip. Carly missed him with all her heart and soul. "Well, Nicky, it's going to be at least 4 more months," Carly responded as she gently rubbed her rounded belly.

"I miss all the things we used to do. You, me, and Dad... We'd go on trips, stay in the mountains, and we'd go skiing," Nicholas said to his mother.

"I miss all the family times, too. But we'll do them again... once our baby is safely here," Carly promised.

Nicky smiled and gave his mother a hug. "I love you, Mom," he said as he hugged her close.

"And I love you," she stated.

Just then, Lawrence walked in. Carly almost bounded out of bed when she saw him. She was so excited as he approached the bed and took her into his embrace. "I missed you," she said as she wrapped her arms around him so tightly.

"I missed you, Nicky, and our baby," he said as he held her close. She realized then that although her friends had deserted her, she had so much. The little family she and Lawrence had created would have to be enough for the time being. 


	2. Keepsake

Author's Note: This story is based off the hit soap Days of our Lives, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. I do not own NBC's Days of Our Lives or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

~*~o~*~

Carly missed working at the hospital. Her work as a physician had always been one of her greatest loves. Now she only went to the hospital for check-ups and ultrasounds. With a high-risk pregnancy, she had a great deal of those. She and Lawrence had just met with a neonatologist for her twenty-week ultrasound. "Your baby looks good," Dr. Beaumont announced as they looked at the image of their baby on the monitor. "The growth is right on target."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Carly questioned eagerly. She and Lawrence had decided they wanted to know the baby's gender. They wanted to get the nursery prepared in advance before their newborn arrived.

"It appears you are having a girl," Dr. Beaumont told them.

"You were right," Carly said as she looked lovingly into Lawrence's hazel eyes. "We are having a daughter."

A smile overtook Lawrence's face. "I couldn't be happier, Katerina," Lawrence said as he raised her hand up to his lips and tenderly kissed each of her fingers.

"Now we need to think of baby names," Carly said as the doctor ended the ultrasound and washed the gel off her belly.

"Everything seems to be going well at the moment," Dr. Beaumont said. "But you still need to remain on bed-rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. The placenta is low in your pelvis and although we have your blood pressure under control at the moment, this pregnancy is very high-risk."

"I will see that she gets plenty of rest," Lawrence promised the doctor.

"Good. I'll see you again in two weeks for your next appointment," the doctor said.

Carly's life consisted of one appointment after another and a great deal of time resting in bed in between. It would all be worth it for a healthy baby. Now they just had to see the rest of it through. They were thrilled to be having a baby girl.

Xxxooo

As they lay in bed together snuggling, Carly ran a bold caress down Lawrence's sexy body. "Please, Lawrence, I need you..." Carly murmured.

"Katerina," he said as he stared into her deep blue eyes. "We can't. I'd hurt you. The doctor said we should abstain..."

"No. I hurt inside because I CAN'T be with you. We'll be careful. I just need you so much," Carly pleaded.

"Please Lawrence. I need this..."

She took him in her hands, arousing him to his full, throbbing length. He expelled a hot breath as he finally gave in to her sweet charms. "Alright, we'll pleasure each other," he agreed. "But that's it. We can't go all the way."

Their lips met in an erotic kiss as they got lost in the sweetness of their love. After it was over, he held her and whispered in her ear. "I love you, Katerina. And this will all be over soon. We'll have our baby girl, and everything we ever wanted," he said as he caressed her silky dark hair.

When she awakened the next morning, a terrible pain tore through her lower stomach. "Lawrence!" she cried out.

He turned over in the bed, looking at her in alarm. "What is it?" he asked in concern.

"It hurts so much! Something's wrong!" she exclaimed as she clutched at her swollen stomach.

Knowing there wasn't time to wait for an ambulance, Lawrence lifted Carly into his arms so he could rush her to the hospital. As she moaned in intense pain, he prayed that she and their unborn child would survive this ordeal.

Once she arrived at the hospital, Carly was given a series of injections in an attempt to stop preterm labor. After a terrible scare, the medical staff was finally able to get the contractions to stop. "That was so scary," Lawrence said as he held Carly's hand. "Are you sure it was nothing we did... you know, when we ... ?"

"No, Lawrence. It was just one of those things. But Dr. Moreau did say that the contractions caused my cervix to begin dilating. I have to be very careful. They want to keep me in the hospital, so I can lay on my left side on complete bedrest."

"Then you should stay. I want only the best for you and our baby," Lawrence said as he raised her hand up to his lips to tenderly kissed it.

"What if we hire a private nurse to stay with me at all times? I really want to be home with you and Nicky," Carly pleaded.

"Alright, Katerina. As long as you get plenty of rest. We'll do what we must so we'll have a healthy baby."

"The baby needs to stay inside for several more weeks. If I have her now, it will be far too soon, and she cannot survive," Carly said as she fought back her tears.

"Then we will do what we can to make sure that our daughter survives," Lawrence said with determination. "I love you, Katerina... and I love this baby so much already." Carly trembled as he kissed her gently. She could only pray that the injections they had given her would keep her from going into preterm labor.

Xxxooo

Carly had been keeping a journal since the beginning of her pregnancy. She wanted to remember every moment of the time she carried her child. When she was lonely and the days were long, she'd write in her journal all her hopes and dreams for her child.

*Daddy and I love you so much,* she wrote to her little one. *We cannot wait to meet you. Just stay inside a little longer, and when the time is right, you can be born. We can all be together, you, me, your daddy, and Nicky.*

"Mom, what are you writing?" Nicholas asked as he seated himself at her bedside.

"I'm writing in my journal," Carly said as she gave her son a hug. "I'm glad you're here, Nicky. I've missed you."

"I missed you, too, Mom. I have fun at school, but I miss being here," Nicholas stated.

"Very soon the baby will be here. Then we all can be together."

"Could we go on a trip?" Nicholas asked hopefully.

"Where would you like to go?" Carly asked.

"I want to go to Disney World!"

Carly laughed at her son's enthusiasm. "We'll see," she said as she kissed his cheek.

Xxxooo

After many weeks of writing in her journal, day after day, Carly had created a lasting keepsake for her child. When she reached the last page and there was no more space to write, she jokingly said to Lawrence, "Now our baby can be born."

"Well, you did make it to 32 weeks, which is a miracle in itself. The doctors thought it would never happen," Lawrence said as he gently kissed her forehead.

"Do you think she's 'baked' long enough?" Carly asked as she tenderly caressed her stomach.

Lawrence laughed. "Well, I don't know... why don't we ask her?" he said teasingly.

He placed his hand over Carly's stomach and felt the baby move. "Hello, baby girl, it's your daddy. Are you ready to be born?" Lawrence questioned their unborn child.

"She kicked!" Carly said with excitement as tears filled up her eyes.

"She did," Lawrence chuckled. "She must be almost ready then. I can't wait to meet her, Katerina."

"But we haven't picked a name for her yet."

"When we see her, we'll think of the perfect name," Lawrence assured her. 


	3. Loren

Author's Note: This story is based off the hit soap Days of our Lives, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. I do not own NBC's Days of Our Lives or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

~*~o~*~

Carly had gone through a series of steroid injections to help prepare her baby's lungs for an early delivery. When contractions started again when she was 33 weeks pregnant, the doctors didn't try to stop her labor. They let nature take it's natural course as Lawrence and Carly arrived at the maternity ward of the hospital. Both Dr. Beaumont and Dr. Moreau were on hand to see Baby Alamain into the world.

"How long before we see our baby?" Lawrence asked Carly as he stayed by her side.

"Ohhh I don't know. I was in labor with Nicky somewhere around 28 hours."

"Ohhh my God. How unpleasant."

"You're telling me," Carly said with a heavy sigh.

"Well, things are going to be different this time, Katerina. I'm here," Lawrence reassured her.

"And Vivian's not."

Their gazes met. "This time, she's not going to steal our child from us. She's no where near here. And we are going to have a perfect, healthy daughter."

"I hope so, Lawrence."

"After everything we've been through... all the pain and all the heartache, we deserve this baby," Lawrence said as he raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed it.

"I love you," Carly said to Lawrence as she lay back against the pillows of her hospital bed and prepared for the birth of her daughter.

"I love you, too," he said as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He couldn't remember when he had been this blissfully happy, and he knew that their new daughter was going to be the icing on the cake of their contentment.

Xxxooo

Several hours later, a new baby girl had been born. She was tiny, but beautiful with tons of thick, dark hair. "I want to call her Loren, after her daddy," Carly said as she watched Lawrence cuddling their new little daughter.

"Seriously?" he asked as he looked down at the gorgeous baby, then at her. "You want to name her after me?"

"Absolutely," she told him with a smile. "In fact, I think her name should be Katerina Loren Alamain, after both of us... but I want to call her Loren."

"I love it," he said as he kissed their daughter's forehead. "And I love YOU."

"Just wait till Nicky sees her. She's so small; he'll probably be afraid he'll break her."

"Well, she only weighs a little over four pounds," Lawrence spoke as he marvelled over the baby in his arms. "But she's strong and she's healthy. Everything you went through during her difficult pregnancy paid off, love. We have this wonderful, perfect baby daughter as the reward."

"I wish that Nicky were here to see her now," Carly said as she rested in her hospital bed. She was completely exhausted after her baby's birth.

"He'll be home soon. I'll send for him right away," Lawrence promised. "We all need to be together... you, me, our daughter, and our son."

"I like the sound of that," Carly told him with a smile.  



	4. Nicholas

**Nicholas**

Carly and Lawrence had just arrived home with two-day-old baby Loren. "Where's Nicky?" Carly asked the moment she had walked into the house.

"I have sent for him. He's arriving in on the evening train. I'll get you and Loren settled, then I will go pick him up at the train station," Lawrence responded.

Carly smiled as she was really looking forward to spending time with their son. Nicholas was away far too much at boarding school. His education was important, but Carly thought family was more important. It had been Lawrence who had insisted that their son needed thebest education that money could provide. Nicholas was a gifted student and absorbed knowledge like a sponge. He wanted to be an accomplished doctor just like his mother. Carly knew he had enough ambition that he would be just as successful at his parents.

"Lawrence, I have been thinking, now that we have our little princess here..." she spoke as she looked down at sleeping baby Loren. "... maybe we should consider Nicholas coming home to stay. He wants to go to Disney World just as soon as we can. It's time we were a family- you, me, Nicky and our precious baby daughter. I want to make tons of beautiful memories together."

Lawrence smiled as he placed a tender kiss on Carly's lips. "We'll talk that over with Nicholas when he gets here, Katerina. Above all, I just want our son to be happy."

Carly had just seated herself on the loveseat to cuddle baby Loren when the telephone rang. Laurence frowned at the unwelcome interruption. "Let me get that, Love. It may be important."

Lawrence went to take the call as Carly carefully examined her daughter's sleeping face. After so many weeks of bedrest, her baby girl had been born safe and healthy. She breathed a sigh of relief as she kissed her daughter's tiny cheek. She then looked up as she heard Lawrence speaking tersely on the phone.

"Yes... yes... we'll be right there," Lawrence was saying.

With a painful expression upon his face, Lawrence hung up the phone. "Lawrence, what is it?" Carly asked him.

"It's Nicky," Lawrence spoke quietly. "I'm afraid there's been an accident."

"An accident?" Carly gasped as she stood up quickly, holding the baby.

"Yes. The train derailed. I don't know anything else. They refused to tell me anything on the phone. They just said get to the hospital right away," Lawrence answered.

"Ohhh my God! The train derailed. Nicholas could be badly hurt. I've seen plenty of accidents like that when working at the hospital."

"I know, Katerina. But we can't jump to conclusions. We just need to get to the hospital and see our son," Lawrence said as he put his arm around her for support. "Do you want to leave the baby here with the housekeeper or take her with us?"

"I can't leave her here, Lawrence. I don't know what's happened to Nicky... or how long we'll be gone."

"Alright, we'll take her with us then. Let's go."

Xxxooo

When they got to the hospital, Carly was frantic to see her son. "Are you the Alamains?" asked a young nurse.

"Yes, we are. How's Nicky?" Carly asked.

"Is he alright?" Lawrence questioned.

"Come with me," the nurse replied. "I will take you to see your son."

Lawrence and Carly were taken down the hallway to a room. Nicholas sat there waiting on a bed, his arm in a cast. "Nicky!" Carly cried out as she hugged him tight. "Ohhh my gosh... are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mom. I just broke my arm," said Nicholas. He showed his parents his shiny blue cast.

"I was so worried," Carly said as she hugged and kissed him.

"The train wreck was scary... but I'm going be okay," Nicholas tried to assure his parents.

"We're glad you're okay, tiger," Lawrence said to his son. "Would you like to meet your baby sister?"

"Sure," Nicky said with a grin.

Lawrence reached into the baby carrier and carefully removed baby Loren so her big brother could meet her. "Wow, she's so little!" Nicholas gasped. "But she's really cute."

Carly laughed softly at Nicholas's observation. "She thinks her big brother is very handsome," she stated as she kissed Nicky's cheek again. "Let's go home, Son."


	5. Overflowing

**Overflowing**

Lawrence and Carly had taken both Loren and Nicholas home and put them to bed. It had been a long day, but they were glad that all their loved ones had made it home safe and sound. After the kids had been tucked in, Lawrence pampered his beautiful wife. He carried her up to bed and held her in his arms. "I love you so much, Katerina. I don't know what I'd do without you and our precious children," he said as he massaged the tense muscles in her shoulders.

"I love you, too, Lawrence. We have everything now. A handsome son... a beautiful daughter. We are very blessed... and we deserve happiness after everything we have been through."

"It is true. We do deserve the blessings we have been given. We lost so many precious years with our son when Vivian took him from us... but we won't lose that time with our daughter. We have so many beautiful memories to make together. Let's start by taking our children to Disney World. Nicky will love it."

"Yes, Nicholas is thrilled by the thought of going to Disney World. He won't be little much longer. As soon as I am recovered from Loren's birth, I say we pack up our bags and head off to Disney World. We'll have a fun family vacation."

"Great, I'll have my travel agent make all the arrangements," stated Lawrence. "After our much needed family vacation, we'll both be refreshed and ready to return to business."

"I wonder how the hospital has fared without me?" Carly said with a little chuckle.

"You'll find out soon enough," Lawrence spoke as he placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck and cuddled her in his loving embrace.

"That's another of my many blessings," said Carly. "I love being a doctor."

"You are amazing at anything you do," Lawrence told her. "That's why I love you so much, Katerina. You're absolutely amazing."

"You're pretty amazing yourself, Mr. Alamain," she replied as she reached for his hand and kissed it. In that moment, she felt as though her heart was overflowing with happiness.

Xxxooo

"Disney World was so much fun, Dad! I really loved it there. The rides were fun and the Magical Kingdom! The food was delicious and I loved all the shows... and what are we gonna do tomorrow?" Nicholas asked as Lawrence tucked him into bed in their hotel suite.

Lawrence smiled at his son's enthusiasm. "I dunno, Tiger, but your mom might need a little rest... and so might your baby sister," Lawrence stated. "We did an awful lot of walking today. I think we all need a day of relaxation."

"We could hang out in the hot tub and watch TV," Lawrence suggested.

"Okay, Dad... as long as we don't have to watch stupid cartoons and kiddie movies all day. I am becoming a man now," Nicholas informed his father.

Lawrence just grinned as he tucked the blankets around his son. "I'm very proud of you, Nicholas," Lawrence said as he kissed the boy's cheek. "You're almost 11, so you're right. It won't be long until you become a man."

"I'm growing up."

"Don't grow up too fast," Lawrence said as he gave his son a wink. He turned off the light and walked out of the room. He entered the main room of the suite where Carly was rocking their daughter to sleep.

"How's Loren?" he asked when he saw her cuddling the baby.

"She's so quiet and peaceful," Carly replied. "She's such an angel, Lawrence. She was such a good girl today when we were taking Nicholas all over Disney World. She barely cried. She was content in her stroller."

"She looks so sweet in your arms. I'm really glad that one of our children is still just a baby... because other one just announced he's becoming a man."

"Ohhh Lawrence, Nicky's growing up so fast. Too fast. I'm not ready to have a teenager."

"That's probably because you were so wild when you were a teen."

"Yeah, I ran off with you."

"Shhh," Lawrence whispered as he gestured to the baby. "Our daughter must never know that. She can't ever hear how I corrupted you."

Carly smiled as she stood up to place the sleeping baby in her basinett. She then slid into Lawrence's arms. "I loved every minute of you corrupting me..." she said in a seductive voice. "Let's do it some more."

"Mrs. Alamain, are you suggesting you'd like to seduce me?" Lawrence asked with feigned innocence.

"That's exactly what I am suggesting," Carly replied as she opened the top of her nightie and showed him her cleavage. "Do you think you can handle it?"

"I'll show you exactly how I like to handle things," Lawrence said as he swept her in his arms and carried her off to bed.


	6. Quiet

**Quiet**

Carly woke up the next morning and lay quietly in Lawrence's arms. She savored the blissful moments of contentment with him as she waited for their baby daughter to awaken or for Nicholas to barge in, demanding his breakfast.

"Did you sleep well, Mrs. Alamain?" Lawrence asked as he stirred in her embrace.

"Very well, thank you... after you fondled me for hours... then put me to sleep with your delicious lovemaking."

"My lovemaking is delicious?" he asked with a little smirk.

"That and more. We could do it again... but I fear our daughter may awaken."

"That's a distinct possibility," Lawrence agreed. "Nicky wanted to return to Disney World today, but I thought a day of rest was in order. We can lounge around the hotel room, sipping wine... or juice... and spending a quiet day together..."

"That's a wonderful idea, Lawrence. I am glad I married you. You're absolutely brilliant."

Lawrence chuckled. "Marrying you and having our children was the best thing I have ever done in my life," he said as he stared into Carly's eyes. "I love you, Katerina."

"I love you, too, Lawrence. But I don't want Nicky to return to private school. Having him home has made me realize how much I need him here ... with us. I want him to stay and attend school in Paris."

"I think we should ask him and leave the decision up to him," Lawrence stated. "After all, he's almost a man. Remember?"

Carly laughed softly when she heard Lawrence's words. Her son was growing up way too fast. She wasn't ready for it.

"Alright, we'll ask him when he awakens," Carly agreed.

"That sounds like a plan. You stay here and rest awhile longer. I'll go call room service and order our breakfast while I check on our little princess," Lawrence said as he kissed her softly and rose from the bed. She was only afforded a quick glimpse of his virile body before he covered it with his robe. She pouted a little as he left the bedroom. Sighing softly, she curled up against the pillows with a smile on her face as she rested her eyes a few minutes more.

Xxxooo

When Carly finally got out of bed, she entered the living room of the suite. She saw Nicholas at the table awaiting his breakfast as Lawrence was trying to soothe their slightly fussy infant daughter. "Is she hungry?" Carly asked as she took baby Loren from her father's arms.

"I think so," he said. "She was trying to nurse... and I just don't have the proper equipment."

"Well, thankfully I do," Carly said with a smile. She cuddled Loren as she got her settled in her arms. While she was nursing baby Loren, Lawrence answered the door when room service arrived with their meal.

"Everything looks great," Lawrence said as he tipped the delivery boy.

Nicholas was ecstatic when he saw their breakfast. He ate as though starved as Lawrence drank a mug of coffee. After Loren had been satisfied, Carly joined them at the breakfast table. "Mmmmm. Oatmeal," she said as she helped herself to a steaming bowl.

"What are we gonna do today, Mom?" Nicky spoke up.

"I already told you, tiger. Today we are going to relax and bask in each other's company. How does that sound to you, Katerina?"

"I love that idea," Carly said as she smiled at her husband. "I want to do most of my relaxing in the hot tub with you."

Lawrence smirked. He suddenly wished they had brought a nanny along on this trip so they could "play" during their relaxation time. *Ohhh well,* he thought to himself. *I'll just have to behave myself until it's bedtime.*

"Lawrence, I think it's time we asked Nicky the big question."

"What question, Mom?" Nicholas asked.

"Nicholas, your father and I have been talking and we were wondering if you might want to leave boarding school and relocate to a school in Paris?" Carly explained. "We decided to leave it up to you... but we'd like you to come home to stay."


End file.
